Busy Working On A New Line for Crafty Pegs

Yes... I've been busily working on a new lot of things to sell at the Creative Markets for people to buy.  I'm hoping to get my customers interested in purchasing photo frames, Mega-Pegs and other such things all prettied up, wrapped up and ready to sell by the end of next month.

Also by the end of next month, I'll have a new small table to add to my set-up with a smallish suitcase I'm hoping to purchase from Brighton.  During August I'm visiting my brother and his girlfriend and there's a place not far from their house which sells vintage furniture and wares; and I'll be getting the suitcase from there.  

Anyway, I'm working on these things and my writing and other arty things around the house.  I'm also working on cleaning out my place too - still! - and it's going quite well.

So, what have you been working on lately?  A lot?  A little?  Is there anything creative you've begun and want to share, or is it still on the drawing board?  Until my next post, keep creating!

What a Month and... Where Has it Gone?

We are halfway through July and I'm wondering just where it's disappeared to. 

I've done so much and yet feel as though I've done so little.  But that's how things go when you're having fun I guess.  I worked hard on my Grandma's Glory Box and it's come up a real treat.  Now this Friday and the weekend, I just have to get my butt into working on the lid and putting bees wax polish into it all and getting everything put back together and it brought to my place... this will take a day or so to do, but it will happen.  
During that time, Mum wants to get the table for the basin, jug and wash set that she's given me for my bedroom and bring it to my place at the same time - which sounds like a good idea.

And just last night, I started seriously working on really brightly painted pencils and more pegs to pull together more stock for the Creative Markets.  I've got 5 Cool Pencils so far which are beautifully bright and aimed towards girls - as boys aren't looking at them anymore - and there's going to be a new line of things I'm bringing in at the end of August.

So, I've been very busily working away at my little hobby business to get it hopping along again.  I'm also working at my Secret Santa's present for my craft group; and I'm halfway through it... I'm looking forward to seeing it finished and giving it to the lady who it's going to.  I hope the person who is my Secret Santa is working on something nice for me too.

So, do tell, what have you been up to?  It's Winter here in Australia, so working indoors is something that us Aussies do quite a bit during the colder seasons... but I've been working outside and inside lately.  Have you been working in the garden, working on your craft, or have you been finding you're kicking back and keeping warm (or cool if you're in other climates)?  Love to know what you're all up to.  Until my next post, keep creating.

Grandma's Glory Box

Over the last few months, I've been thinking about getting my Grandmother's Glory Box out of storage and fixing it up for my own uses.  

Well, this week, I did just that, and it's looking great after 4 full, straight days of work.  I spent 6 hours each day at Mum and Dad's house working on this box and have put a lot of shellac on it, and it looking gorgeous!  I love it... 

Now, I have to wait for a week to go back to it.  But that doesn't mean I don't have other projects to do. However, I do have a few other busy things to get done before I get in and work on a box and my Great-Grandmother's Singer Sewing Machine (which still works!).

So, what have you been up to lately?  You know what I've been doing... and why I haven't been on here lately.  I'd like to know what you've been doing with yourselves - art-wise - in your lives.  Until my next post, keep creating!

Frida Kahlo

I absolutely adore Frida Kahlo's work, really I do.  She had such a passion for life and painted with brilliant colours and heart that she wasn't appreciated enough in her life when she was alive... and now she's no longer with us, everyone loves her work.

It's not the most amazing thing about her though...

I watched a movie about her life last night, this movie caused me to think hard about how much pain - physical pain - she suffered throughout her life.  

At a young age, Frida was involved in a bus accident which caused her to be in a full-body plaster cast for a long time because her back was badly damaged.  And due to the damage happening in a time when doctors could do very little for her, she just had to put up with the treatments of the time - the 1920's and 1930's. 

However, she was a determined woman.  She vowed to walk again.  She vowed to make something of herself - and she did.  Frida had to work hard for what she wanted in life; as being a artist was wrong for a woman in the eyes of society.  Frida changed that through a lot of hard work and a supportive family, friends and husband - who just couldn't stay loyal to her no matter how many chances she gave him.
However, she traveled with him when he was given chances to work in New York City and around America.  And they soon found out she was unable to have children when she miscarried and nearly died.  There was so much in this movie that I can't cover it in just this post.  However, I loved its colour, its beauty, how the paintings were mixed in with her life, her loves and her pain.  The whole piece was brilliantly cast and I want to see it again just to enjoy it even more.

What do you love about your favourite artist?  Mine is Frida Kahlo... and for a variety of reasons, I can relate to her.  However, I'd like to know yours.  Until my next post, keep creating.

Creative Minds

I've been very busy over the last few weeks... and have forgotten to write here.

But since my last post, I've acquired my own set of wheels!  Yep, Mum's Pajero is gone and I have a car that is cheaper to run in its place.  It's so much fun to work with and I've done the Creative Markets with it already too.

However, I've been working on getting myself to art stores lately to buy some more mat spray varnish.  And seeing the Garden City store of Riot Art is currently closed, the one at the Hyperdome is the one I've been going to instead for my supplies.

Then, there's cheap stores I've been going to get my magnets too - which only cost me $2.00 for 10... so I grab about 6 packets if they have them.  Otherwise, I'll get these magnets at the Riot Art Store at the Hyperdome instead.  It's further to go, but if I don't, I don't have the supplies to work with.

I have more coathangers than I know what to do with, and I've had a suggestion of painting door stops from Mum to sell.  I'll be looking into these for the next market; and buying the blank ones from Bunnings.  However for now, I'll see how I go with what I have now.  

It's now a week before the next Creative Markets - which are on 25th, May - and I'm relaxing and taking it easy.  I'm reading books, cleaning up and listening to music while I'm writing this.  However, I'm also thinking about what else I can do to make my market stall better.  Until my next post, keep creating!

Easter Coming Up

The weather is changing and I've been working on new designs and other things for the Creative Markets this month.  I'm looking forward to them; and hopefully I'll have as much fun as I've been having over the last few times.

This month I've been more relaxed and working a little less, however there's a good reason for that.  I've had to go off to my optometrist to get myself another set of glasses for close-up work.  He saw the kind of work I've been doing and said it's a good idea to get myself a pair for what I'm doing; instead of straining my eyes.

So, there's that.

I've also been back to Bunnings and looking at getting a clothes line and a basket to make my Crafty Pegs stall more authentic-looking.  It didn't cost me much, but it'll look a lot more peggy and fun now.

So, what have you been up to lately?  A lot of fun stuff or just kicking back and enjoying the cooler/warm weather?  Until my next post, keep creating!

Been Busily Creative

I've been busy and haven't had time to blog.

Must apologise for this.

However, I have some great news!  I'm a permanent member of the retailers at the Creative Market!  Yay!  How cool is that?  Very cool, if I do say so myself!  I was called 'The Peg Lady' by almost everyone I talked to at the end of March, and I was also told that I pushed out the last peg lady... I didn't mean to, but I took all her other customers.

Well... I have been busily working on other things since the markets.  I pulled apart the Sprung Pegs and put them into their own set collections of all vine flowers or dotty flowers or inverted dots or all squares, and will see if they sell next month.  

And just today - while I was at Bunnings - I got a great idea.  I bought a real clothes peg basket for $5.40 and a 24 meter length of white clothes line to string up on my stall so I could hang up my pegs all along the table... show people what they could hang up with my pegs.  Pretty cool, eh?

Also today, I was off to the optometrist.  I had to get myself fitted up for a pair of glasses for close-up work.  Graeme saw the kind of work I do and thought it was a good idea I came in and saw him for a new set of specs for my kind of detailing work... so my eyes were feeling like they were hanging out of my head all the time.  Besides, my reading glasses aren't designed for this kind of work; but the ones he's ordered for me are.  And he's thrilled I've created a job for myself - and he liked my Facebook page of Crafty Pegs too!  Very cool!

Anyway, what have you been up to?  I've got about a week before I can use my new glasses with my work - and not feel like my eyes are always tired.  And yes, I'll show you what my new specs look like too; they're very pretty.  Until my my next post, keep creating!

Who Wants Bon-Bons?

Yep.... sounds like a whole new kinda crazy, but you read it right.  

I was falling asleep at around 1am the other night when an idea flashed under my lids... it was pretty, it was cute... it was Magna-Peg Bon-Bons!  I painted up 6 pegs of the one design - different colours - and attached them to some cardboard in the shape of the centre of a Christmas Bon-Bon!  then, I wrap this centre piece in celophane, tie gold or silver tie around the ends and there you have it!

A Magna-Peg Bon-Bon! 

I've made one ... and it was a great success!  So, I'll be working on making more for this month's Creative Markets and see how they'll sell.  And the price?  Well, $8.00 each... they'll be adorable enough to take off I think. 

Otherwise, I've been working on coathangers, new storage and getting my butt into working on other things for the market, to make things easier for myself.  Money's been a little tight this week, but next week, I'll be okay.  So, what have you been up to in your creative arts?  Until my next post, keep creating!

This Week of Work

It's been a busy week of work for Crafty Pegs.  I've had plenty of ideas running through my head and they've worked out in the last few days of this past week.

On Thursday, I bought some treated pine at Bunnings and dowel and went to Mum and Dad's place to run past my Dad an idea to make a display rack for my new product of painted coathangers.  I had two done up for last month's markets, but this month, there will be more.

At first, I suggested we make a coat rack-like thing, but Dad said that it would fall over, even if we tried to make it as light as possible because the feet would have to be out wide.  So, we had to sit down and figure out another possibility; and came up with two stands that worked out a treat!

When I got home that night, I painted up the stands as much as I could and then got in and did some serious work on the my coathangers.  Right now, I have four all wrapped up and ready to sell; with another four in the process of being half-painted.  I just have to put designs on them and I'll varnish them, wrap them and they'll be ready to sell too for $10 each or two for $15.  Until my next post, keep creating.

Coathangers Getting Painted

I took a bit of a break from painting pegs - or anything really - as I've been very tired lately.  And so I got in and did some of my housework, looked at the types of paint I needed and jumped at some of Riot Art Garden City closing down sales (the place is closing down for around 6 months until Westfield Garden City finishes its extensions).  Dad and I are also looking at cars... but we're not buying anything solid right now, just window-shopping.

Today, though, I sat down and worked on two coathangers.  I painted one up with gold paint, with an undercoat of bright yellow.  It looked gorgeous!  And then, I painted another with a few coats of white... it looked just as pretty.
Tonight, I painted onto the gold one a few silver flames.  It's just a first coat, I still have to work on it and get into finishing it up with a second coat and really get some detail work done on the flames.
The white one is all dot work - curly ends dot work.  It's only a quarter done so far, but I'm confident it'll look good.  So, what have you been up to lately?  Until my next post, keep creating!